Hey, baby, how's it goin' in there? One way to find out is a special checkup for high-risk moms or overdue babies.

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What it screens for: Often combined with the nonstress test, the biophysical profile (BPP) is another assessment of fetal well-being during pregnancy. It reveals the baby's heart rate, activity level, breathing movements, muscle tone, and the amount of amniotic fluid.

Who it's for: Moms with risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney or heart disease may have this test. You may also have it if you are carrying multiples or if your due date has just zoomed by. Physicians often order this test to determine if it is time to induce labor.

How it's done: This is generally a combination of a nonstress test, which tells your practitioner about your baby's heart rate and movement, followed by a special ultrasound that's similar to a level 2 ultrasound. But rather than looking at organs and measurements, your sonographer will be checking for various movements during a 30-minute period (get comfy, it might take even longer if your little one happens to be napping during the test). The sonographer will look at the baby's chest to count breathing movements (technically, your little fishy is still aquatic in the womb, but in late pregnancy, her lungs start practicing for their dry land debut). The sonographer will also be assessing muscle tone by counting quick, jerky movements of your baby's hands and feet. Finally, your amniotic fluid will be measured in four different areas of your uterus (either too little or too much will inspire more testing).

This test is a graded one: You will be given a score of 0-2 in each of five categories (heart rate and activity level from the nonstress test; breathing, muscle tone, and amniotic fluid from the ultrasound). A score of 8-10 is normal, and means the test will probably be repeated in another week. Less than 8 means you might need special care, additional tests — or it could be time to deliver that baby! (Talk about the ultimate consolation prize!)

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